Webster's English Dictionary

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riddle

Cross references:
  1. mystery               
 
1. rid.dle \'rid-*l\ n [ME redels, ridel, fr. OE r-delse opinion, 
   conjec]ture, riddle; akin to OE r-dan to interpret - more at READ 1: a 
   mystifying, misleading, or puzzling question posed as a problem to be  
   solved or guessed : CONUNDRUM, ENIGMA 2: something or someone difficult to 
   understand 
2. riddle \'rid-lin, -*l-in\ \-l*r, -*l-*r\ vb or rid.dling 1: to find the 
   solution of : EXPLAIN, INTERPRET  2: to set a riddle for : MYSTIFY, PUZZLE  
   : to speak in or propound riddles  - rid.dler n
3. riddle n [ME riddil, fr. OE hriddel; akin to L cribrum sieve, cerne]re 
   to sift - more at CERTAIN : a coarse sieve 
4. riddle \'rid-lin, -*l-in\ vt or rid.dling 1: to separate (as grain from 
   the chaff) with a riddle : pass through a  riddle : SCREEN 2a: to fill 
   (something or someone) as full of holes as a sieve : punctur e often and 
   thoroughly {riddled the ship with a broadside} 2b: to corrupt throughout : 
   PERMEATE {slums riddled with d isease}